Heat sink

ABSTRACT

A heat sink for dissipation heat for an electronic components ( 50 ) having a dual-in-line package comprises at least two fin units ( 20, 30, 40 ). Each of the fin units comprises a base ( 21, 31, 41 ) and a plurality of heat dissipation fins ( 23, 33, 43 ) extending upwardly from the base. At least one fixing hole ( 2314, 3314 ) is formed in one of the fin units. At least one fixing poles ( 3313, 4313 ) is formed in another neighboring fin unit. The two neighboring fin units are assembled together with the at least one fixing pole inserted in the at least one fixing hole. A receiving space is defined between the two neighboring fin units for receiving the electronic component therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to heat sinks, and more particularly to a heat sink for dissipation heat for dual-in-line package electronic components.

2. Description of Related Art

As technology continues to advance, it is inevitable that electronic components such as integrated circuits (ICs) will incorporate even larger numbers of transistors and other such dual-in-line electronic components in their construction, and accordingly, these ICs will have even higher level of heat emission.

In order to reduce the high temperature resulting from operations of the electronic components, heat sinks are commonly used. Conventional heat sinks generally comprise a base and a plurality of fins extending upwardly from the base. The heat sink is attached to one side of the electronic component by a clip. The contact between the heat sink and the electronic component is not perfect, as the heat sink is only contacted with one side of the electronic component. Thus, the heat dissipation problem in the dual-in-line package electronic components has become an obstacle affecting further development in the art and has to be addressed.

For the foregoing reasons, therefore, it is desired to devise a heat sink which can overcome the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat sink. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat sink for dissipating heat from at least one dual-in-line package electronic component includes a first fin unit and second fin unit. The first fin unit includes a sidewall and a plurality of heat dissipation fins thermally connected with the sidewall. The second fin unit includes a sidewall facing towards the sidewall of the first fin unit and a plurality of heat dissipation fins thermally connected with the sidewall of the second fin unit. The sidewall of the second fin unit is abutting against the sidewall of the first fin unit. A receiving space is defined between the sidewall of the first fin unit and the sidewall of the second fin unit adapted for receiving a dual-in-line package electronic component therein.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a heat sink in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the heat sink of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but shown form a different aspect;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation view of an electronic component having a dual-in-line package; and

FIG. 5 is an assembled, isometric view of a heat sink in accordance to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the heat sink according to the first embodiment includes a first fin unit 20, a second fin unit 30 and a third fin unit 40 connected in series, wherein the second fin unit 30 is interconnected between the first fin unit 20 and the third fin unit 40.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first fin unit 20 includes a base 21, a fixing frame 22, a plurality of stacked heat dissipation fins 23, a sidewall 24 and a heat dissipation wall 25. The base 21 is plate-shaped, which has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface. The heat dissipation fins 23 are extended upwardly and perpendicularly from the top surface of the base 21. The heat dissipation fins 23 are paralleled and spaced to each other, and each of the heat dissipation fins 23 is arranged along a first direction of the base 21. The heat dissipation wall 25 is extended upwardly and perpendicularly from the top surface of the base 21, and is arranged along a second direction of the base 21 that is perpendicular to the first direction along which the heat dissipation fins 23 are arranged. The heat dissipation wall 25 is disposed at a middle portion of each of the heat dissipation fins 23, and thus each of the heat dissipation fins 23 is symmetrical to the heat dissipation wall 25.

The fixing frame 22 includes a rectangular connecting wall 221 and two connecting pins 222 extending downwardly from a common lateral side of the connecting wall 221. The two connecting pins 222 are located at two opposite distal ends of the lateral side of the connecting wall 221 respectively. A rectangular groove 211 is defined in the bottom surface of the base 21 for receiving the connecting wall 221 of the fixing frame 20 therein correspondingly. Two clamping tabs 212 are formed on two opposite sides of the groove 211 of the base 21 respectively. The two clamping tabs 212 extend horizontally from the opposite sides of the groove 211 of the base 21 toward a central portion thereof. A bottom surface of each of the clamping tabs 212 is coplanar with the bottom surface of the base 21. The clamping tabs 212 hold the connecting wall 221 of the fixing frame 22 in the groove 211 of the base 21, thus firmly fixing the fixing frame 22 to the first fin unit 20.

The sidewall 24 is located at a right lateral side of the first fin unit 20 and faces the second fin unit 30. The sidewall 24 extends upwardly and perpendicularly from a lateral side of the top surface of the base 21. The heat dissipation wall 25 is thermally connected to a middle of the sidewall 24 whereby the heat dissipation fins 23 are thermally connected to the sidewall 24. The sidewall 24 has a size substantially the same as the heat dissipation fins 23, while a thickness of the sidewall 24 is larger than that of each heat dissipation fins 23. A receiving recess 2312 is formed on an outer side surface of the sidewall 24 of the first fin unit 20. The receiving recess 2312 faces towards the second fin unit 30. An electronic component 50 which generates redundant heat is received in the receiving recess 2312 whereby the heat generated by the electronic component 50 is transferred to the heat sink for dissipation.

Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic component 50 has a dual-in-line package, which includes an encapsulated main body 51 and two electrical pins 52 extending downwardly from a bottom side of the encapsulated main body 51. Correspondingly, the receiving recess 2312 includes a first recess portion 2312 a for receiving the encapsulated main body 51 of the electronic component 50, and a second recess portion 2312 b for receiving the electrical pins 52 of the electronic component 50. The second recess portion 2312 b of the receiving recess 2312 has a smaller size than the first recess portion 2312 a, and the second recess portion 2312 b is located under the first recess portion 2312 a to connect with the bottom surface of the base 21 of the first fin unit 20. A depth of the first recess portion 2312 a of the receiving recess 2312 of the sidewall 24 basically equals to a half of a thickness of the main body 51 of the electronic component 50. A depth of the second recess portion 2312 b of the receiving recess 2312 of the sidewall 24 basically equals to a half of a thickness of each electrical pin 52 of the electronic component 50. When the electronic component 50 is received in the receiving recess 2312 of the first fin unit 20, the two electrical pins 52 are extended out of the base 21 of the first fin unit 20 via the second recess portion 2312 b of the receiving recess 2312, which is convenient for the dual-in-line electronic component 50 electrically connected to a print circuit broad via the electrical pins 52 thereof.

Three circular fixing holes 2314 facing towards the second fin unit 30 are defined in the outer side surface of the sidewall 24 of the first fin unit 20. The three fixing holes 2314 are distributed around the receiving recess 2312, wherein one of the fixing holes 2314 is located at a top portion of the sidewall 24, and the other two fixing holes 2314 are located at a bottom portion of the sidewall 24, thereby the three fixing holes 2314 forming an equilateral triangle on the outer side surface of the sidewall 24 of the first fin unit 20.

The third fin unit 40 has substantially the same configuration as the first fin unit 20. More specifically, the third fin unit 40 includes a base 41, a fixing frame 42, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 43, a sidewall 44 and a heat dissipation wall 45. The fixing frame 42 includes a rectangular connecting wall 421 and two connecting pins 422 extending downwardly and perpendicularly from two ends of a common lateral side of the connecting wall 421. The base 41 defines a rectangular groove 411 corresponding to the connecting wall 421 of the fixing frame 42 in a bottom surface thereof. Two clamping tabs 412 are formed on two opposite sides of the rectangular groove 411 of the base 41 respectively. The third fin unit 40 is disposed in a face-to-face manner towards the first fin unit 20. The sidewall 44 of the third fin unit 40 is located on a left lateral side of the third fin unit 40 and faces towards the second fin unit 30. A receiving recess 4312 is defined in an outer side surface of the sidewall 44 of the third fin unit 40. The receiving recess 4312 of the third fin unit 40 has a same configuration to the receiving recess 2312 of the first fin unit 20. Three cylindrical fixing poles 4313 are formed on an outer side surface of the sidewall 44 of the third fin unit 40. The fixing poles 4313 extend from the outer side surface of the sidewall 44 of the third fin unit 40 toward the second fin unit 30.

The second fin unit 30 includes a base 31, a plurality of stacked heat dissipation fins 33, two sidewalls 34 a, 34 b and a heat dissipation wall 35. The base 31, the heat dissipation fins 33 and the heat dissipation wall 35 of the second fin unit 30 respectively have the same configuration as the base 21, the heat dissipation fins 23 and the heat dissipation wall 25 of the first fin unit 20. The two sidewalls 34 a, 34 b of the second fin unit 30 are located at two opposite lateral sides, i.e., left and right lateral sides, of the second fin unit 30, wherein the right side sidewall 34 b has a same configuration to the sidewall 24 of the first fin unit 20 and the left side sidewall 34 a has a same configuration to the sidewall 44 of the third fin unit 40. A receiving recess 3312 is defined in an outer side surface of each of the sidewalls 34 a, 34 b of the second fin unit 30. The receiving recess 3312 has a same configuration to the receiving recess 2312 of the first fin unit 20. Three cylindrical fixing poles 3313 are formed on the outer surface of the sidewall 34 a of the second fin unit 30, corresponding to the three fixing holes 2314 of the first fin unit 20. The three cylindrical fixing poles 3313 can be inserted into and be received in the three fixing holes 2314 of the first fin unit 20 correspondingly. Three circular fixing holes 3314 are defined in the outer surface of the sidewall 34 b of the second fin unit 30 for receiving the three fixing poles 4313 of the third fin unit 40 correspondingly.

In assembly, the first fin unit 20, the second fin unit 30 and the third fin unit 40 are assembled side-by-side together to form the heat sink, and an electronic component 50 is sandwiched between very two neighboring fin units 20, 30, 40. In other words, the heat sink having the three fin units 20, 30, 40 can dissipate heat for two electronic components 50 simultaneously. One of the electronic components 50 is firstly received in the receiving recess 2312 of the first fin unit 20, and then the fixing poles 3313 of the second fin unit 30 are inserted into the fixing holes 2314 of the first fin unit 20 to connect the first and second fin units 20, 30 together. The sidewall 24 of the first fin unit 20 is brought into an intimate contact with the sidewall 34 a of the second fin unit 30. Thus, the receiving recesses 2314, 3312 of the two neighboring sidewalls 24, 34 a of the first and second fin units 20, 30 are connected together to cooperatively form a receiving space receiving the electronic component 50 therein. In the same way, the third fin unit 40 is connected to the second fin unit 30 by the fixing poles 4313 of the third fin unit 40 inserting into the fixing holes 3314 of the second fin unit 30. Thus, the other one of the electronic components 50 is received in a receiving space cooperatively formed by the receiving recesses 3312, 4312 of the two neighboring sidewalls 34 b, 44. The connecting wall 221 of the fixing frame 22 is inserted into the groove 211 of the first fin unit 20, and the connecting wall 421 of the fixing frame 42 is inserted into the groove 411 of the third fin unit 40. Thus, the fixing frames 22, 42 are connected with the first and the third fin unit 20, 40 respectively. Therefore, the heat sink can be fixed to a printed circuit board to which the electronic components 50 are electrically connected by inserting the connecting pins 222, 422 of the fixing frames 22, 42 to corresponding holes defined in the printed circuit board.

As the electronic components 50 are both contained in an interior of the heat sink when the fin units 20, 30, 40 are assembled together, an outer surface of each of the electronic components 50 contacts the neighboring sidewalls 24, 34 a, 34 b, 44 of the fin units 20, 30, 40 of the heat sink completely, which enlarges the contacting surface area between the electronic components 50 and the heat sink. Therefore, heat generated by the electronic components 50 can be absorbed by the sidewalls 24, 34 a, 34 b, 44 of the heat sink and then quickly transferred to the heat dissipation walls 25, 35, 45 and the heat dissipation fins 23, 33, 43 for further dissipation. Preferably, a thermal interface material, for example, a thermal grease, may be applied to the outer surface of each of the electronic components 50 and an inner surface of each of the receiving recesses 2312, 3312, 4312 of the heat sink, so as to fill up an air clearance formed between the electronic components 50 and the heat sink, and to increase heat dissipation efficiency.

Alternatively, the number of the fin units 20, 30, 40 may be adjusted according to heat dissipation requirement for the electronic components 50. Referring to FIG. 5, a heat sink for dissipation heat for only one electronic component 50 is formed by two fin units 60, 70 integrated together. One of the two fin units 60 has a same configuration to the first fin unit 20, and the other one of the two fin units 70 has a same configuration to the third fin unit 40. The electronic component 50 is sandwiched between the two neighboring fin units 60, 70, i.e., between the sidewalls 64, 74 of the two fin units 60, 70 which are contacted intimately to each other.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A heat sink for dissipation heat for at least an electronic component having a dual-in-line package, comprising at least two fin units, each of the fin units comprising a base and a plurality of heat dissipation fins extending from the base, at least one fixing hole defined in one of the at least two fin units, at least one fixing pole formed on another one of the at least two fin units, the at least one fixing hole and the at least one fixing pole facing towards and corresponding to each other, the at least two fin units being assembled together with the at least one fixing pole inserted into the at least one fixing pole, a receiving space defined between two neighboring fin units of the at least two fin units adapted for fittingly receiving one of the at least one electronic component therein.
 2. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein at least one sidewall is formed on a lateral side of each of the at least two fin units, the at least one sidewall of one of the two neighboring fin units abutting against the at least one sidewall of the other one of the two neighboring fin units, the receiving space defined between the sidewalls of the two neighboring fin units.
 3. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein the receiving space is connected to a bottom surface of the base of each of the two neighboring fin units.
 4. The heat sink as described in claim 1, wherein the heat sink further comprises a fixing frame, the fixing frame comprising a connecting wall and two connecting pins extending from the connecting wall, a groove defined in a bottom surface of the heat sink for receiving the connecting wall of the fixing frame therein.
 5. The heat sink as described in claim 4, wherein two clamping tabs are respectively formed on two opposite sides of the groove, the two clamping tabs extending horizontally from the two opposite sides of the groove toward a central portion of the groove.
 6. A heat sink for dissipating heat from at least one dual-in-line package electronic component comprising: a first fin unit comprising a sidewall and a plurality of heat dissipation fins thermally connected with the sidewall; a second fin unit comprising a sidewall facing towards the sidewall of the first fin unit and a plurality of heat dissipation fins thermally connected with the sidewall of the second fin unit, the sidewall of the second fin unit abutting against the sidewall of the first fin unit; and a receiving space defined between the sidewall of the first fin unit and the sidewall of the second fin unit adapted for receiving a dual-in-line package electronic component therein.
 7. The heat sink as described in claim 6, wherein a receiving recess is defined in the sidewall of the first fin unit and a receiving recess is defined in the sidewall of the second fin unit, the two receiving recesses cooperatively forming said receiving space.
 8. The heat sink as described in claim 6, wherein the heat sink further comprises a third fin unit connected to the second fin unit, the third fin unit comprising a sidewall located at a lateral side of the third fin unit, the second fin unit further including another sidewall facing towards the sidewall of the third fin unit, the sidewall of the third fin unit abutting against said another sidewall of the second fin unit, another receiving space defined between the sidewall of the third fin unit and said another sidewall of the second fin unit adapted for receiving another dual-in-line package electronic component therein.
 9. The heat sink as described in claim 8, wherein a receiving recess is defined in the sidewall of the third fin unit and a receiving recess is defined in said another sidewall of the second fin unit, the two receiving recesses cooperatively forming said another receiving space.
 10. The heat sink as described in claim 6, wherein the sidewall of each fin unit has a thicker thickness than each of the heat dissipation fins of the corresponding fin unit.
 11. The heat sink as described in claim 6, wherein the receiving space comprises a first portion adapted for receiving a main body of the dual-in-line package electronic component and a second portion located under the first portion and adapted for receiving two electrical pins of the dual-in-line package electronic component.
 12. A heat sink for dissipating heat from at least one dual-in-line package electronic component comprising a fin unit, the fin unit comprising at least a sidewall located at a lateral side thereof and a plurality of heat dissipation fins thermally connected to the at least a sidewall, a receiving recess defined in the at least a sidewall of the fin unit adapted for receiving a dual-in-line package electronic component therein.
 13. The heat sink as described in claim 12, wherein the at least a sidewall has two in number, the two sidewalls located at two opposite lateral sides of the fin unit respectively, the receiving recess defined in an outer surface of each of the sidewalls.
 14. The heat sink as described in claim 12, wherein the receiving recess comprises a first recess portion adapted for receiving a main body of the electronic component and a second recess portion located under the first recess portion and adapted for receiving two electrical pins of the electronic component. 